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Universal Master

We are considering abut removing privilege Universal Master from the Guild Master, but we want to analyze every consequence and the testers' thoughts before taking a decision.

Being the universal master, the GM is currently the obvious head of the guild's main pyramid, getting as followers other players with the same rank level and so, achieving a boost on the GM's power and skill points generation. The GM's competitors would have to plot the overthrow very carefully, and all other players with same rank level who would support the usurper, would have first to send their higher followers, demote themselves and follow he usurper. This is what we think it's more similar to the real life's coups.

If we remove this, the GM will no more be one rank level higher, and players with the same rank level than the GM (the highest rank level in the game) won't have any available master to follow, all of them would be the head of different pyramids competing for the domain of the guild.
It won't give to the GM so high advantage in power and skill points, and competitors will have more chances to achieve the GM title. There would be much more changes on the GMs. However, though the GMs would not be anymore one rank higher than their actual rank level, they would still keep the privilege of the extra squad slot.

What do you think? Use this thread to discuss about this –only about this and not about another feature or rule.– You can only vote on the poll and remember that these votes are anonymous and not decisive, but they help us to know community's thoughts.

I think the Guild Master should remain one rank higher than his fellow peers. After all, most GMs in the game work their butt off to be the GM. I do not say this because I am a current GM either. There is really very little reward in being the Guild Master already. I do not get extra xp, my squad is no where near full to even be able to use that extra squad slot and I have to throw A LOT of quests to just barely keep my skill point generation going and gets harder every day to help my followers with the things they need to help build them up to be strong players in the game. Besides seeing my face at the top of the rankings.... the job already kinda sucks, guys
I think it would be easier to overthrow a Guild Master if you just let people of the same rank follow each other. I know you do not like this idea for whatever reason, but as the game progresses, there will be more and more dead accounts, and then sometimes it will not be possible for people just to rid themselves of their followers, unless they want to do so on a permanent basis. Successful, much played games do not make everything so hard to accomplish.

I vote for removing this privilege.
This is a social game but also of competition. I prefer many people fighting for the GM. And of course I do not want a single person surrounded by others of the same rank to become unattainable for others. That only leads to long-term problems by creating a powerful player (with millions of skill points) that will be eternal there.
When I was a GM my followers who have a rank less than mine were penalized on experience of me because of that "privilege". If someone now to take away the GM Zab, she would not only lose the title but in addition she would lose the followers of the same rank. Another penalty.
I think the fights in the guild of wizards to get the GM has been the most beautiful and entertaining game for now.

I see what you are saying about same rank followers becoming padding for a Guild Master, Vace, but there is also something to be said for being able to choose who you are playing the game with. People tend to keep playing games if they are able to do so with the people they like to play with. Like it or not, in any game you look at, there are big winners way ahead of the rest of the pack. If Universal Master is taken away, it does not punish me so much as the other players, who would then receive no xp from anyone too...for being good players in the game, they would be punished too! How is that fair? That's not the making of a good game. The higher you get in a game, the more you should be rewarded, not the opposite.

Honestly, I think it comes down to a suggestion I made in another thread. Think of different ideas for people to generate their power points and do away followers. Expand parties (...and even then, you WILL see parties way, way ahead of other ones). Let people create their own 'squads' somehow that does not involve other players.

Also, another way to easily receive power points, so that one can generate more skill points is to simply allow people to promote when they reach the appropriate level and gain that base power you give. Making power points dependent solely on followers puts a lot of people out of range of ever being named the guild master. In fact, I think having power only made through followers will always encourage mass cloning. People want to promote and get ahead and if they do not have the friends willing to play, cloning is the only option they have, when you are not giving them other options. If everyone received the same base power upon promotion, more people would have a chance to get the top position.

I agree with you about what you say about the clones and the need to create new ways to get skill points.
But I think the friends you want to play are the ones you have in your party. The followers are just people who have chosen the same profession as you and they want a lot of experience or items in exchange for his power to give. Maybe in other games the situation is different, but I think in this game the way the developers wanted to give is that. I hope downplaying the squads (a concept which I hate) affected the important thing is the party. A balanced and powerful party should be what makes the game important.

I do not think of followers just as people who have chosen the same profession as me. I speak with many of mine on a daily basis. We make up a team in a different sort of way, than parties, but we are a team regardless. Everyone under me is really helpful with each other with advice and the passing down of items, so that we are all strong. The fact you put little emphasis on parties could be part of the reason why you lost people to me (not saying this in a rude way, I just think you may not playing the game fully when you do not recognise your squad as team too). I do not see my followers just as selfish people who want items and xp because when I am unable to give them either sometimes, no one complains....

Sometimes, I think you get stuck in your way of thinking there is only one way to play this game, when there is several ways because of the squads. That being said, something really has to be done to 'even up' the game for players. Level 60 rouges will likely never be the guild master and if that is the concept the devs want to push forth, they MUST think of ways that can put anyone in that position. I strongly argue that base power should be given with automatic promotion at the appropriate levels because then even a person without any followers could suddenly encourage a bunch to join him/her and gain the title. For the amount of scouts we have in the game, I think I would have more competition and cannot wait to see it happen.

Though the population for the poll is not very high, we can get a general look of the general thinking. However we consider every point of view, and we enjoyed so much reading well-argued opinions and a so respectful discuss on this thread. We will deliberate about it, considering the poll results and the discuss here.

Interdependently of the result of our deliberations, we are planning to make a new screen where players can see all the 4 Guild Masters and a filtered log to see easily the social actions that they make everyday ? demotes, promotes, etc.? and we are going to enforce the social power of the Guild Masters within the guild, so the GM will may reward those who are supporting him or her:
- The Guild Master will automatically get an increase of 5% in the power score.
- He or she will may award 5 daily cumulative boosts of 1% on the power of any players in the guild, for 24h. As example, he could award 5 players with a 24h boost of +1% or 1 player with +5% on the power.
- The Guild Master will may provide a special benefit to one party, once per day, depending on the guild (GM of Fighters could give a bonus on Attack, GM of priests a full heal, GM of wizards a full Energy refill... these are just examples of the kind of benefits we are thinking about).
- The Guild Masters will name permanently several officers within the Guild, which will obtain certain bonuses depending on the title. A commerce officer would get a bonus on the blacksmith prices, a gold officer a bonus on the gold, temple officer a bonus on the temple... etc.